This was a fun and quick Hallmark-esque second-chance hate-to-love rom-com.

Emmy and Grayson are forced to star together in a rom-com, but they have bad blood between them from a movie they had done together years previously when they were teens.

Emmy was annoyingly immature, didn't take responsibility for her actions, and could not bring herself to have a difficult conversation to save her life. The whole "hate" was based on assumptions on her part only, and the 3rd act miscommunication was all due to her not asking for clarification of a conversation she overhears. These are my least favorite plot devices, so I was not a fan.

I did like seeing them thaw towards each other, although it did seem pretty sudden when they finally caught feelings. But Grayson was the sweetest cinnamon roll, and I definitely found myself rooting for his sake.

The author's fast-paced writing style definitely kept the story moving, but I really dislike the angst between the MCs being artificially drawn out by something that could be cleared up with less than 5 minutes of conversation.

Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the E-ARC. This was such easy and fast read. Everything just flowed together the third act break up was one of the best Ive read something different that I really enjoyed. Emmy (FMC) and Grayson (MMC) reunite after making a movie some years ago and it not going badly so obviously everything is off to a bad start.....or is it?

Thank you G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the complimentary e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emmy has to step up as a leading actress in a new movie she wrote. Unfortunately the leading actor is Grayson who Emmy sees as a main reason why she stopped acting.

Romance movie setup, past grudges or is it a sexual tension, cute small town what else could promises a good rom-com book. This was my first book by Falon Ballard and definitely won’t be my last one.

I love this author and her writing. This was no different. It was cute. and the characters were likable for me. The plot was fun.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

Sadly this one fell a bit flat for me but i have always loved her others! I will still give her other ones a chance. Thanks for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

Right on Cue by Falon Ballard is the ultimate swoony, enemies-with-benefits, celebrity romance that I couldn’t put down! Emmy and Grayson are forced to star in a romantic comedy together, but here’s the catch—they hate each other. Their teenage angst has left them with unresolved tension, and now they have to figure it out to make the movie work.

What follows is a fun, steamy, and totally swoon-worthy ride as they try to navigate their forced proximity while battling their chemistry. The banter, the tension, and their undeniable attraction made every page of this book so much fun to read. I loved watching them work through their issues and fall for each other all over again.

If you’re a fan of second-chance romances with plenty of steam and heart, Right on Cue is a must-read! It's the perfect blend of tension, humor, and swoon.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced copy!
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This a fluffy Hallmark-movie of a book, in which they are filming a Hallmark movie. It’s a little meta, but cute nonetheless. Emmy is the daughter of a Hollywood power-couple, and while she wanted to be an actor as a teen, that dream went down the drain after her first movie was a flop. Now she finds herself back in front of the camera, in a film she wrote, and unsuspectingly starring opposite her former co-star who has made his disdain for her obvious. Grayson and Emmy’s relationship goes from enemies to lovers very quickly, though their inability to communicate can be excruciating. The tropes were a bit surface level for me, though I suppose the angle wasn’t digging for anything deeper anyway.

4 stars!
I am a falon ballard fan all the way. This book is cute, funny, and got you giggling and giddy. Definitely worth a read if you want something fast and fun!

This was a very cutesy, lighthearted, romantic comedy. I enjoyed the story line and the relationship between the main characters. A perfect read when I needed something sweet, silly, and light to indulge in! I will be looking for more novels from this author!

The fourth act fallout was both basic and uninteresting, and sadly dampened any enjoyment, I had gotten out of it up to that point.

I am so sorry it took so long to write this review, because I LOVED this book and so did my 8th grade daughter!
"Right on Cue" is an absolute delight—witty, heartfelt, and impossible to put down! The characters are richly developed, the dialogue sparkles with humor, and the story perfectly balances charm and depth. With its irresistible blend of romance, ambition, and self-discovery, this book feels like a warm hug and a standing ovation all in one. If you love a story that makes you laugh, swoon, and cheer, this one is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Right on Cue in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This book had forced proximity and enemies to lovers which is *chef's kiss* of mix! I'm not usually a big celebrity romance before, but I did enjoy this one. It had some cheesy lines, but what rom-com, doesn't?

I really enjoyed this book. It had a great pace, good character development, and a story I wanted to keep reading. I loved that Emmy and Grayson had flaws that were highlighted.I enjoyed seeing their perspectives on their past and them finding their way back to each other eventually.

5 ⭐️
Tropes: forced proximity, enemies to lovers, costars with benefits, second change romance, celebrity romance

I’m an absolute sucker for enemies to lovers / forced proximity romances and this hit all the right spots. If my tropes list alone did not convince you to read this let me tell you more! This was swoon worthy; honestly rom-com perfection and it felt like you were watching a movie while you read. It was fun and captivating in the best ways. All of the characters were lovable with good character development, the plot / location was adorable AND even the hated third act breakup was tolerable. I know, I know we all hate those third act breakups but I think this was needed for them to realize they were it for each other.

Emmy Harper was an actor turned screenwriter and known as the queen of rom-coms. After the death of her father and some time away she was finally in a place to write love stories again and create rom-com magic. Except no one they auditioned could bring her leading lady to life, so she was convinced to act in her own movie. After she was finally convinced and on location - there was a last minute change to casting she was not prepared for. Grayson F*CKING West is now the male lead and the bane of her existence. Not only did she hate Grayson but he was the reason why her acting career tanked when she was younger and never took off. Now they are not only forced to act in her movie together but they have to ACT like they love each other and that proved to be harder than they thought. They needed to get their act together or risk tanking this movie…sooo Harper suggests they take all that pent up sexual tension and use it to their advantage in a costars with benefits agreement.

“One time only. No strings. There’s clearly some tension here. Let’s cut it and save this movie”

BUT it wasn’t long before their agreement muddied the waters and turned into something they were not expecting.

This was my second book by Fallon Ballard and I loved this one just as much. I absolutely ADORED this and cannot recommend this book and this author enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Four stars for Right on Cue! I went into this one a little hesitant, honestly. Celebrity romances can be a tough sell for me – often too dramatic, and I struggle to connect with characters whose lives are so far removed from my own. But Falon Ballard totally won me over. This wasn't the angst-fest I feared. Instead, it was a light and fun read. The story had a great balance of humor, a compelling central conflict, and just the right amount of spice. Sure, there were a few moments of silliness and maybe a touch of immaturity from the characters (Emmy's childhood grudge against Grayson felt a little drawn out), but they were handled well, and thankfully, the dreaded miscommunication trope was kept to a minimum. I especially loved the peek behind the scenes of filmmaking, from the intimacy coordinator's work to the small-town setting. The inclusion of press articles and tabloid gossip added a fun layer of realism, too. While enemies-to-lovers isn't usually my favorite, the way it played out here, with Emmy's initial animosity driving the tension, worked surprisingly well. And let's be honest, the co-workers-with-benefits dynamic definitely added some heat!

If you're a fan of celebrity romances, especially those with a healthy dose of steam, Right on Cue is definitely worth checking out. Big thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

A disappointing read, filled with superficial characters and cheesy lines. Very disappointing compared to this author’s past works that I’ve loved!

I am never disappointed picking up a Falon Ballard book! She's a sincerely underrated author and I can't wait for her next book.

"Love is only complicated when we make it complicated."

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me an ARC of Right on Cue in exchange for an honest review.

Emmy Harper has always kn0wn exactly where she belongs on a film set- behind the camera as a screenwriter. After suffering extreme humiliation on her first film at fifteen years old, Emmy swore to herself she would never get in front of a camera again. However, circumstances change after Emmy and her best friend and director, Liz cannot find the leading lady for their next film, No Reservations. Emmy has no choice except to once again step in front of the camera, only for the unexpected and absolutely unwanted to happen- she is acting alongside her very first costar, Grayson West- the man she blames for the end of her acting career. The movie risks being ended if they cannot figure out how to work together- on and off screen.

This book had a super fun premise and almost read like a Hallmark movie, with the idyllic setting and the hot leading man. I enjoyed Grayson as a character and the development he had throughout the book. He went from someone I knew nothing about (and who you could tell was hiding something) to a kind and caring person that I figured out was just trying to do right by everyone else. I also loved Emmy's hair and makeup team, Sam and Amanda. They were the best friends that supported Emmy but also gave her tough love when she needed it.

Then there was Emmy. For most of the book, she felt incredibly insufferable as well as immature because she would not take any kind of responsibility for her own actions and just kept blaming Grayson for everything without even talking to him. She kept claiming that she wasn't doing anything wrong even though everyone else was telling her she was. She thought that because she was the screenwriter/leading lady, she could say or do whatever she wanted. I also thought that the third act breakup was entirely unnneccesary and destroyed all of the character development that Emmy had throughout the second half of the book. I think that Grayson should have made her grovel more before he forgave her.

Overall, I would give this book 3 stars for the supporting cast, a quick and easy read, and a fun setting.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

Falon Ballard's Right on Cue might sound like a Hallmark movie on paper, but it's so much more. It offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a classic rom-com trope, where you know the general direction of the story, but the journey is refreshingly real. Instead of contrived plot devices creating conflict, Emily and Greyson face genuinely relatable, plausible obstacles. The story consistently grounds itself in the reality of their lives, rather than leaning into predictable movie tropes.

Ballard strikes a perfect balance between classic romance elements and a fresh perspective. The descriptions are vivid without being overly flowery, the dialogue sparkles with natural cultural references, and Emily's internal struggles resonate with the anxieties anyone would feel in her situation. The romance is present and engaging, with just the right amount of spice to feel authentic.

I enhanced my reading experience with the audiobook, and Rachel L. Jacobs delivered a fantastic performance as both Emmy and Greyson! I especially appreciated the text message exchanges towards the end, which featured both Jacobs and Curt Bonnem (who also narrated the mixed media sections). While two other female narrators were listed, I found it difficult to distinguish between their individual performances.

This is clearly a story written by an author who understands her audience. That confidence and connection shine through, elevating Right on Cue beyond typical romantic comedy fare.

5 stars

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